I've read in books that you're supposed to empty one breast when you're breastfeeding before giving the other breast to the baby. My query is how do you know when your breast have been emptied. Even when my baby has sucked on my breast for half hour and spits out my nipples, when I squeeze my nipples, milk still comes out so I'm not sure whether my breast has been emptied out or not. I'd appreciate any advice, thanks!
Emptying of the breast
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carang
Registered User
my girl was always a fast drinker and would finish one breast in about 10 minutes.
i'm not too worried that she didn't get the hind milk as she'd doubled her birth weight by 2 months!
now, she's 7 months and it's only in the past month that i've started giving her formula. i just couldn't keep up exclusively breastfeeding. i was carrying a cooler with me and trying to express as much as i could, but she was just going through my stores so fast....
anyway, that's beside the point.
good luck!
i'm not too worried that she didn't get the hind milk as she'd doubled her birth weight by 2 months!
now, she's 7 months and it's only in the past month that i've started giving her formula. i just couldn't keep up exclusively breastfeeding. i was carrying a cooler with me and trying to express as much as i could, but she was just going through my stores so fast....
anyway, that's beside the point.
good luck!
La Leche League suggests feeding the baby on one side until the baby comes off and then offering the other side. If the baby is interested in the second side that is fine and if the baby isn?t interested in the second side that is also fine.
Please note ? nothing about emptying the breast. Although in the early days of breastfeeding you should be able to tell that some milk has been removed as the breast will feel lighter after the feed than before.
It is impossible for the breast ever to be empty. You are constantly making milk. And the emptier your breast is the faster you are making milk.
I think there is too much emphasis placed on worrying about fore milk and hind milk. Mothers have been breastfeeding successfully for thousands of years and we have only known about fore milk and hind milk for about ten years!
Also remember that the most important symptom of a fore milk/hind milk imbalance is that the baby fails to thrive. This means that the baby continuously looses weight.
Please don?t worry it sounds to me as though everything is fine.
Best wishes,
SARAH
Please note ? nothing about emptying the breast. Although in the early days of breastfeeding you should be able to tell that some milk has been removed as the breast will feel lighter after the feed than before.
It is impossible for the breast ever to be empty. You are constantly making milk. And the emptier your breast is the faster you are making milk.
I think there is too much emphasis placed on worrying about fore milk and hind milk. Mothers have been breastfeeding successfully for thousands of years and we have only known about fore milk and hind milk for about ten years!
Also remember that the most important symptom of a fore milk/hind milk imbalance is that the baby fails to thrive. This means that the baby continuously looses weight.
Please don?t worry it sounds to me as though everything is fine.
Best wishes,
SARAH